Monday, March 4, 2013

Whales: Mysterious Sea Creatures

In folklore (legends, tales and myths) animals play an
important role. As representatives of the natural world they have freedoms and
capabilities not available to human beings. This makes them either allies or
foes and over the eons people have found ways to ‘work with’ these creatures in
a way that will ensure a society’s survival. For cultures that exist along
coastal shorelines, the whale is highly regarded as a source of supra-natural
power.

Whales have been considered to be monsters of the sea.These 100-ton beasts are feared by many
because of their size.In other cultures they are allies who help
bridge the distance between islands as well as between mankind and the
mysterious world he lives in.

While some culture myths regard these great mammals as gods,
others hunt them down as demons of the sea.Over the decades many famous stories about whales have been
created.

Here are some popular
stories about whales:

Moby Dick – This
iconic whale is the subject of Herman Melville’s novel, Moby Dick.After Captain
Ahab loses his leg to Moby Dick, he becomes obsessed with revenge and dedicates
the rest of his life to hunting down the great whale.The story was inspired by the real whale,
Mocha Dick, who swam the Pacific Ocean in the 19th century and
survived over 100 attacks by whaling ships, even destroying a few with his
great fluke.

Jonah and the Whale
– In bibliography, Jonah runs away from God to Joppa and hides out on the sea
in a fishing boat.God sends a great
storm throwing Jonah overboard and he is immediately swallowed whole by the
whale.After three days in the belly of
the whale, Jonah seeks repentance and the whale spits him out onto dry land.

Yu –kiang – In
Chinese culture it was believed that the whale, Yu-kiang, was a mythical
creature who ruled the sea.He had the
hands and feet of a man and when angered, he would turn into a giant bird and
cause devastating wind storms across the ocean.

Want some whale facts?

-Whales breathe through a hole on top of their head called a
“blow hole.”

-Sperm whales have the largest brain on the planet.

-Whales eat 110-330 pounds of meat every day.

These magnificent creatures have become so famous over the
years that some cultures even hold festivals to honor them.In Little River, California, the Little RiverWhale Festival takes place March 9-10,2013.The festival consists of sea cave tours, whale watching expeditions, great food from local chefs and more.